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Protecting Your Computer and Your Identity

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Protecting Your Computer and Your Identity Security Awareness Office of Enterprise Security Department of Information Technology August 2007 1 Table of Contents Why Protect Your Computer 3 Viruses, Worms, and Trojans 4 Spyware 6 Spam 8 Phishing 9 Pharming 11 Firewalls 12 Internet Frauds and Scams 14 Avoiding Online Predators 16 Cyber Bullying 18 Identity Theft 20 2 Why Protect Your Computer If you have a computer that connects to the internet then protecting your computer is crucial. Your computer is not only prone to viruses, spyware and other unwanted traffic including theft of information from your computer, but can also be used for criminal or spamming purposes by hackers. It is common to think that it is not required to protect your computer if you don't have any important data in it. This misconception should be overcome as hackers can use your computer as a scapegoat to launch attacks, commit criminal acts, and send out spam hiding from within your computer, for which you may be held responsible. Your computer has more information and resources that can be useful to hackers than you think. Protect your computer as much as possible by setting various layers of security boundaries. 3 Viruses, Worms, and Trojans A virus is a program that can cause damage to a computer and can replicate itself in a computer and over the network or internet. Virus code is usually buried within the code of another program. Once executed, the virus gets activated and spreads in the system. Viruses and other types of malicious code are often spread as attachments to email messages. Before opening any attachments, be sure you know the source of the attachment. It is not enough that the email originated from an address you recognize. The Melissa virus spread rampantly because it originated from a familiar address. If files from an infected computer are sent as email attachments, it also infects the computer in which the attachment is opened. A virus can corrupt or delete files or make a computer unusable. Worm: A self-contained program (or set of programs) that is able to spread copies of itself to other computer systems. The propagation usually takes place through network connections or email attachments. Trojans: A program that neither replicates nor copies itself, but performs some illicit activity when it is run. It stays in the computer doing its damage or allows somebody from a remote site to take control of the computer. Trojans often sneak into your system attached to a free game. Tips: • Install anti-virus software o Anti-virus tools remain one of the easiest and most comprehensive defenses against malicious code. o You can purchase tools such as Norton AntiVirus or McAfee VirusScan, or there are also free tools such as AntiVir Personal Edition. o You should have your anti-virus software installed on your computer before connecting to the internet. o Make sure to keep it updated. • Install a Firewall o A firewall will give you an extra layer of protection between your computer and the internet helping to stop incoming attacks. • Update Windows and your browser regularly o Windows and browser will often have security holes, vulnerabilities, which need to be patched before hackers can use them to access to your computer. • Keep your browser security at Medium or High o The Medium security level contains dozens of tweaks that block common virus propagation techniques. 4 o The High setting goes even further, but it may prevent you from viewing legitimate sources. • Don’t install “search-help bars” in your browser o Many of these search helpers are used to invade your computer and steal your information. o Not all of these search helpers are untrustworthy. Google and Yahoo! Are ok. You just need to be careful with who you put your trust in. • Don't run executable email attachments, even if sent by a friend. o Most worms today spread by infecting a machine and launching a mass email attack. You can stop that attack vector and protect your friends by not running attachments. o If you get an attachment you really want to open, save it to your hard drive, run a virus scan, and then open it if it is clean. 5 Spyware Spyware is a means of eavesdropping and can be installed on the computer without the user's knowledge or consent by just going to the wrong website. This happens when the website executes a script on the computer (if you have not disabled scripts). Specifically, spyware is computer software that contains surveillance tools that can monitor keystroke activity, take screen snapshots, do email and chat-logging, gather information about the computer user and the user's information and reports it back to the requesting server. The threats for loss of personal confidential information and identity theft are very real. Most spyware come bundled with free programs that you download from the internet. Almost all file sharing applications come loaded with spyware and may also have the ability to download and install more spyware. Before you download free software from the internet, read the policies if available, and determine why it is being given for free. It is a good practice not to download anything from the internet that you do not know about and/or do not trust. Spyware is also responsible for browser hijacking leading to changing your home page on your browser. For example, if you are planning a Florida vacation, you may be surprised to see relevant ads on travel deals to Florida as pop-ups, emails or other messages. This happens because your internet activities are being monitored by the spyware. If your computer is infected with spyware, the information you transmit over the internet is captured and you will get targeted for ads. Spyware programs run in the background of your computer without your knowledge and decrease processor performance and memory and eventually slow the overall performance of your computer. Spyware is not classified as a virus and anti-virus programs do not block it. Spyware requires specific tools to identify and remove the spyware. Spyware is also sometimes referred to as adware. There are many good spyware tools available. Tips: • Update Windows and your browser regularly o Windows and your browser will often have security holes, vulnerabilities, which need to be patched before hackers can use them to access to your computer. • Increase your security settings o Windows and browsers have I wide range of security settings to choose from in order to avoid spyware. It is a good idea to check their website for tips and ideas. 6 • Carefully read User Agreements before accepting o Always check to see if there will be other software installed. It will often tell you in the User Agreement. • Watch out for Windows warning boxes that look like advertisements o Spyware developers with often try to trick you by creating pop-ups that look like windows warning boxes. o You should just “X” out the box instead of clicking either Yes or No because both will result in spyware being loaded on to your computer. • Be cautious when installing free programs or shareware o Programs that are given away for free will often contain spyware that the author has installed in order to turn a profit. o Not all free software contains spyware, just be careful when you are choosing programs to download. • Install spyware detecting software • Install a Firewall o A firewall will create an extra layer of protection between the internet and your computer which will help to keep out intruders and spyware programs. 7 Spam Spam is unsolicited junk email sent to a large number of people, usually for advertising or marketing on the internet. The act of doing this is called spamming and the people who do this are called spammers. Spammers collect email addresses from various sources and also buy from companies which share email addresses. Spam emails may have a link to click in order to unsubscribe from their email list. It is not recommended to click on those links as that would only confirm your email address and cause more spam to be sent. It is a good idea to filter spam email addresses from reaching your inbox or report them as spam to your email service provider. Tips: • Limit who you give your personal email address to o Only give your personal email address to family, friends, or business associates. o When registering your email online, read the privacy policy to make sure that your email address cannot be sold to a third party. o Never display your email openly online. o Create separate email accounts for public use. • Watch for bad spelling and grammar o Spammers will often make spelling and grammar mistakes that would otherwise be picked up by a legitimate company’s proofreader. o They may also misspell words in order to get passed your spam filter. • Don’t respond to any spam o Do not try to unsubscribe to the emails, it will be unlikely to stop the emails unless the email that you received required a subscription. • Make good use of spam blockers o Check your internet service provider for spam blocking utilities it may offer. o Many email clients come with features that allow you to block emails from unwanted sources. • Reporting spam o The United States has the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act. o To report spam you should forward a copy of the e-mails to [email protected]. 8 Phishing Phishing is a criminal activity using different variations of social engineering techniques.
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